Chapter 22: Lord Chen

“Manager Zhang, please take another look!” the burly man pleaded, his eyes red with tears.

Manager Zhang sighed heavily and shook his head. “Lord Chen has reached the end of his life…

You all know it in your hearts. If it weren’t for the top-quality medicine keeping him alive all these years, he’d have passed long ago.

Stop tormenting him. Go home and prepare for his funeral. Let him pass on in peace.”

As soon as Manager Zhang finished speaking, the burly man turned around and knelt at the bedside, clutching the old man’s hand and sobbing bitterly. “Father, your son has been unfilial…”

The woman beside him also knelt down, crying softly. The two- or three-year-old child in her arms didn’t understand anything but, seeing the adults cry, joined in with loud wailing.

The townsfolk gathered around to witness the scene. When they heard there was no saving him, they began murmuring among themselves.

“What a pity. Lord Chen was such a good man, and now he’s gone.”

“Isn’t it always the case? Good people don’t live long, and disasters linger for a thousand years! Why couldn’t a great man like Lord Chen live to a ripe old age?”

The townspeople clearly held this old man in high regard. Just what kind of good deeds had he done for the entire town to mourn his passing?

“Auntie, what exactly did this Lord Chen do that makes everyone speak of him so fondly?” Chu Xiaoqi quietly asked the middle-aged woman beside her, who was sighing.

The woman turned to her, surprised. “Girl, you’re not from Beihe County, are you?”

Chu Xiaoqi nodded. Of course not — she was from a different era entirely.

“Mm, I only married into the area recently.”

“Oh, that explains it,” the woman nodded in understanding, then lowered her voice and covered her mouth as she spoke:

“When Lord Chen was young, he fought on the battlefield. Later, he was injured and returned home in glory to start a business.

He was a good man, honest and trustworthy. He had some business connections and gradually built up a successful trade.

Once he became wealthy, he paid to repair all the main roads in the city. On the first and fifteenth of each month, he and his family would hand out porridge to beggars and refugees at the city gate.

He’s been doing that for decades without fail.

Whenever there was a natural disaster, he generously sold grain from his own granary to the people at prices 20% lower than market value.

Not only that, he donated food and money to the northern army every year.

Now tell me — isn’t that the mark of a good man?”

Chu Xiaoqi nodded. Based on this auntie’s account, Lord Chen truly seemed like a good person.

“But Manager Zhang,” she suddenly called out, “he’s still twitching — how can you say he’s beyond saving?”

Manager Zhang had a gentle disposition and didn’t get upset with her. Instead, he patiently explained, “Young lady, you may not know, but Lord Chen has had heart pains for many years. I’ve been using the best medicine to sustain him until now.

Back when he fought in the army, he suffered a lot of injuries. And now in his old age, this heart disease has worsened. We’ve stretched his life as far as it can go.

Even if he’s still twitching, medicine can no longer help.”

Chu Xiaoqi stepped closer and stared at Lord Chen for a while, then turned to ask, “So you’re saying Lord Chen is definitely going to die this

Chu Xiaoqi’s words sounded like nonsense to Manager Zhang—he knew Lord Chen’s condition better than anyone.

Once someone developed heart disease, it was simply incurable.

He was convinced there was no chance of a miracle.

But before he could refute Chu Xiaoqi’s claim, the burly man who had been crying on his knees suddenly stood up with a whoosh and grabbed her arm.

“Miss, do you remember where exactly that wandering doctor inserted the needles back then?”

Chu Xiaoqi was startled by his sudden movement. She nodded stiffly, like a robot. “Yes, I do…”

The burly man dropped to his knees in front of her with a thud. “Please, miss, save my father…”

Chu Xiaoqi was completely flustered and stepped back repeatedly. What is with these ancient people? Why are they always dropping to their knees?

Manager Zhang hurried to intervene. “Young Master Chen, you mustn’t grasp at straws in desperation…”

Young Master Chen wiped his tears with his sleeve and sniffled. “He’s dying anyway. Why not give it a shot? Maybe there’s still a sliver of hope!”

Chu Xiaoqi studied Young Master Chen closely for a long moment, then gave him a thumbs-up.

In ancient times, people with that kind of thinking were rare.

“Miss, please try,” Young Master Chen pleaded, almost ready to kowtow.

Manager Zhang pressed his lips together without speaking—not because he believed in Chu Xiaoqi’s bizarre story, but because he understood: Young Master Chen was grasping at his last hope.

Lord Chen wasn’t going to survive the night anyway. If his son wanted to try something, better to let him do it. Otherwise, he’d never let it go.

Chu Xiaoqi glanced at Manager Zhang. Seeing he didn’t object, she dramatically pulled Young Master Chen up from the ground.

“Let me be clear first: I’m just copying what I saw. I’ll give it a try, but whatever happens, you can’t blame me.”

Young Master Chen nodded firmly. “I won’t blame you…”

Chu Xiaoqi walked to the side of the bed and lifted Lord Chen’s eyelids. As expected, his pupils were dilated. Without a flashlight, she couldn’t check the light response—this was the best she could do.

She took his wrist and felt his pulse for about half a tea’s time. She confirmed—it was definitely heart disease.

The clinic was packed, people crowding layer after layer, but not a single sound could be heard.

“Take his clothes off,” she said to Young Master Chen, who was pale as a sheet.

Young Master Chen didn’t ask a thing. He immediately rushed forward and stripped his father’s upper body completely.

Chu Xiaoqi twitched her lips. “I said take off the outer clothes—why’d you strip him completely? You trying to freeze your father to death? Hurry and put his undergarments back on.”

This guy looks strong, but why does he seem so… slow?

Young Master Chen let out an “Oh!” and scrambled to redress Lord Chen in his thin inner clothes.

Chu Xiaoqi turned to Manager Zhang. “Manager Zhang, may I borrow a few silver needles?”

Manager Zhang considered it. The girl’s movements were methodical, practiced—she seemed more like a veteran doctor than someone just trying her luck.

He turned toward the counter and called out, “Xiao Tang, bring a set of silver needles for this young lady.”

The same assistant who had previously tried to drive Chu Xiaoqi out brought a needle kit from behind the counter and handed it to her.

Chu Xiaoqi took the kit and thanked him before lowering her head and beginning the acupuncture.

At that moment, Manager Zhang’s son, Zhang Yifeng, returned with his medicine chest on his back. Seeing the entire clinic surrounded by a thick crowd, he thought something major had happened and pushed his way in noisily.

“Father… Father… what’s going on here?”

He barely squeezed inside when Manager Zhang clamped a hand over his mouth. “Quiet…”

“Father, did Lord Chen have another episode?” Zhang Yifeng whispered into his father’s ear.

Manager Zhang didn’t respond, only nodded slightly, his eyes fixed intently on Chu Xiaoqi as she inserted the needles.

He had to admit—this girl’s acupuncture technique was both bold and meticulous. Even with his decades of medical experience, he wouldn’t dare needle someone like this.

“Who is that girl? That acupuncture technique…”

“Shh! Quiet down!”

Zhang Yifeng wanted to ask more, but Manager Zhang impatiently cut him off.

Zhang Yifeng had no choice but to keep silent and obediently stand to the side and watch.

Young Master Chen stared anxiously at his father, now covered in silver needles. His heart was pounding. Wasn’t she only supposed to insert a few? There had to be at least several dozen, if not a hundred!

But he didn’t dare ask. He was terrified of distracting Chu Xiaoqi.

After forty minutes, Chu Xiaoqi finally began withdrawing the needles.

As she pulled out the last one, Lord Chen suddenly opened his eyes wide, took a deep, long breath, and exhaled.

Then he slowly turned his head, his clouded eyes scanning the room.

“Where… am I?”

Seeing the old man awake and able to speak, Young Master Chen and his wife were overwhelmed with joy. They threw themselves forward, sobbing with happiness, “Father! Father…” too emotional to speak clearly.

The surrounding crowd erupted like a pot of boiling water.

“He’s alive! He’s alive!”

“Heavens above! This is a miracle!”

“My God, that traveling doctor must’ve been amazing—he brought someone back who was already declared dead!”

“Truly incredible…”

Young Master Chen rushed to Chu Xiaoqi, bowing repeatedly. “Miss, thank you, thank you so much…

Whatever your fee is, I’ll get it for you right away.”

Chu Xiaoqi pulled out a tael of silver from her pocket and waved it in front of him. “Your wife already paid the consultation fee.

But since I took your money, I’ll give you some medicine too.”

She turned and squeezed her way through the crowd to her basket. After rummaging around for a bit, she pulled out a handful of herbs and shoved them into Young Master Chen’s hands.

“I don’t have anything to package them with. Take these, divide them into three portions, and boil them into decoctions for your father to drink.

Once the medicine is finished, he should be much better.

But remember—he must avoid extreme emotions, whether joy or sorrow.”

With that, she slung her basket over her back and headed for the exit.

Manager Zhang quickly tried to call her back, “Wait… miss… please, wait—” but before he could finish his sentence, Chu Xiaoqi was knocked over by a sudden rush of people.

She tumbled to the floor, dazed and dizzy. Gritting her teeth, she muttered,

“What is it with me and this Jimin Medical Hall today? Are the doors cursed or something?”

“Miss, are you all right?” Madam Chen hurried over to help her up.

Chu Xiaoqi waved her off. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“Manager Zhang, please save our young lady! She’s choking on a red date!”

Before Chu Xiaoqi could even look up to see who had crashed into her, she heard shrill cries and panic at the door.

She followed the hem of a pale yellow skirt upward. This figure looked… oddly familiar?

As she looked higher, oh ho—wasn’t this her Love Rival #1?

Qin Hanyu’s face was flushed beet red. She looked up and saw Chu Xiaoqi standing in front of her. Instinctively, she reached out to grab her.

Chu Xiaoqi instantly jumped back, pointing at her. “Hey, hey, hey… you ran into me! Don’t you dare try to pull a scam!”

Qin Hanyu opened her mouth, struggling to breathe. One hand was gripping her neck, the other shakily pointed at Chu Xiaoqi.

The yamen officer beside her had no idea what she was trying to communicate and simply forced her hand back down.